The bold styling of the Cadillac CTS is polarizing--you either like or hate it. But it's made this fast, good-handling car stand out in a field of mostly look-alike near-luxury sedans.
The CTS arrived in January 2002 as an early 2003 model and has been successful, especially among younger buyers Cadillac never would have seen at its dealerships. The chiseled styling definitely is a draw with those folks; as with the sensational 1960s Studebaker Avanti, the CTS doesn't copy any car's styling.
The $29,350 CTS is the entry-level Cadillac, but also is the first car model designed to help make this top-line General Motors division the most envied in the world again. That's a tall order, given that Cadillac had little competition when it was top dog.
Cadillacs from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s were the No. 1 luxury cars in America. For instance, if a company made vacuum cleaners, it called them "the Cadillac of vacuum cleaners.'' But Mercedes-Benz muscled in on Cadillac's action, followed by Lexus and other foreign automakers.
Cadillac didn't help itself with "downsized,'' underpowered cars in the 1980s. Improved 1990s cars only helped it regain some lost glory.
Now Cadillac is making a comeback with the CTS and trucks such as the Escalade sport-utility vehicle. The automaker's super-slick XLR two seater with a retractable hard top is just around the corner and is sure to enhance Cadillac's reputation. That's something its 1987-93 Allante two-seater never did because of poor marketing and delayed improvements. Other new models also are in the works.
The CTS is a European-style car, with rear-wheel drive, stiff construction and a chassis partly developed at a demanding German race track. It's meant to compete with the BMW 5-Series models for roughly the price of the smaller, less costly BMW 3-Series models.
Close, but no cigar. The CTS has excellent handling and powerful brakes. But, while reasonably quick, its power steering is artificially heavy--a ploy to make the CTS feel more sporting.
Also, while the ride is mostly supple, rough road surfaces bring out stiffness and harshness from the all-independent suspension.
That's especially the case with the Luxury Sport option package, which includes firmer suspension parts, larger (17-inch) polished alloy wheels and wider (50-series) high-performance tires, which don't absorb bumps as well as the standard 55-series tires on 16-inch wheels.
The Luxury Sport package sharpens handling and also contains Cadillac's sophisticated Stabilitrak anti-skid system, load-leveling rear suspension and upgraded brakes. Cosmetic items in it include zebrano wood trim and a power front passenger seat.
The $4,050 Luxury Sport package and other extras such as the $1,200 sunroof and $400 heated front seats, which require the Sport or $2,300 Luxury Package (lots of interior wood trim), cause the price to top $37,000. You can't get the $450 split/folding rear seat to increase cargo room without those packages, either.
Hold onto your wallet, because the CTS comes with all sorts of comfort, convenience and safety items at the base price. There's everything from automatic climate control and cruise control to leather seats and an AM/FM/CD/cassette sound system with seven speakers.
Standard safety features include front side and curtain side air bags, traction control system and anti-lock brakes.
The slick, standard German Getrag five-speed manual transmission is the first for a rear-drive Caddy since 1951. It makes driving the CTS more fun, at least away from heavy traffic. But most CTS buyers opt for the responsive five-speed automatic transmission; ironically, GM supplies it to BMW.
A CTS V-8 model is scheduled as an optional, costlier model. Meanwhile, the CTS has a 3.2-liter V-6. It produces 220 horsepower and lively acceleration off the line and on highways. Although the CTS can zip to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, the engine works hard--especially in the mountains--because the CTS is a fairly big, heavy sedan. The dual-overhead-camshaft V-6 loafs at 70 mph, but isn't as smooth as a BMW or Infiniti six-cylinder.
The wild-looking interior has a variety of materials, shapes and textures and easily swallows four tall adults. The comfortable seats are supportive during hard driving, and even the rear ones are nicely shaped. But instrument graphics make gauges hard to read at a glance, and the fuel gauge looks as if it's installed upside-down. The antiquated GM steering column iadjusts poorly.
A high cowl, excessively thick steering wheel and high side sills don't allow an airy interior. But front cupholders are nicely placed on the console and there are a decent amount of storage areas.
The $2,700 navigation system is no snap to use--and also requires the Luxury or Luxury Sport packages.
The big trunk has a wide, fairly low opening, with a lid that uses space-saving hydraulic struts. But the lack of a "pull-down'' feature inside the lid, such as a strap, forces one to get his or her hands dirty on the outside metal when closing the lid.
The CTS is a big step forward for Cadillac and a value in the near-luxury market.
CADILLAC CTS
Price:
$29,350
Likes:
Bold styling. Quick. Sharp handling. Roomy. Solid.
Dislikes:
Heavy steering. Hard-to-read gauges. Marginal adjustable steering column. No V-8